---- VOLUME TWENTY-TWO ---- NUMBER TWO ----

R EVISITING   THE   FOUR   DAY   SHOOL   W EEK
By John de Steiguer

          In May of 1991 the Council distributed a newsletter article about the four-day school week.  At that time it was being considered as a possible answer to the reduction in revenue with which each school district was having to cope.  At least five states, Oregon, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, and Arkansas, were seriously considering the use of the four-day school week or were actually using the concept.  Some thirty-five districts, in Colorado, were successfully educating students using the four-day concept.  In January 1992, the Schools Advisory Council hosted a workshop on this topic with guest speakers from Colorado and Kansas.

          Once again in 2002, serious revenue shortfalls are plaguing our schools, and superintendents are scrambling to educate students with already limited resources being further reduced.  On September 11, 2002, CNN.com/U.S. headlined an article “Schools cut costs with 4-day weeks.  Districts cite money concerns, fewer absences behind idea.” Quoted in this article were the additional states of Louisiana, Wyoming and South Dakota, along with the original states mentioned above.

          The CNN.com article quickly points out that nationwide some 100 districts will try the four-day week this fall.  That is a slight increase from last year.  The majority of the districts are smaller districts – with fewer than 1,000 students - and are primarily rural districts.

          As was stated in the May 1991 OSAC newsletter, each of the four school days is slightly longer than the traditional school day, allowing for greater attention to classroom instructional time.  Part of the increased classroom productive time is the result of fewer set-up times for the four school days instead of the normal five days.  By having an “off” day – usually Friday or in some cases Monday – there is generally a reduction in classroom interruptions, fewer student absences, and a reduced need for teacher substitutes.

          The “off” day (Friday or Monday) provides opportunities to schedule doctor and dental appointments, and three-day mini-vacations for families.  The Monday-Thursday schedule is primarily for academics while the “off” day can also be used for field trips, ballgames, teacher in-service, staff development, curriculum development and other special activities.  This “off” day can also be used as a time for students who are failing a course to attend three hours of required tutoring.  Those students cited for disciplinary problems do maintenance and landscaping work on this “off” day.  Using this off day for these types of events will normally reduce teacher and student absenteeism.

          There are mixed feelings and little in the way of factual evaluation as to the enhancement of academic performance.  However, those students using the longer day/period schedule are more likely to finish homework at school.  In a district west of New Orleans the principal reported that grade point averages rose “considerably” last year during the first Fridays-off calendar and with failing grades reduced by some 50 percent.

          In most instances the typical classroom environment encourages more active participation and less straight lecture.  In part, the increased productive time in each class is a result of the cooperativeness of the administration by prohibiting class period interruptions.

          With most district budgets suffering from the revenue shortfalls buffeting our state, any innovative approach to dealing with this shortfall is welcomed.  Perhaps the four-day school week concept is worth revisiting.

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